Bathinda, February 1
The students in Bathinda are shying away from hard work and parents are also directly or indirectly helping them. The sale of readymade models is going up at various bookstores in the city as the practical examination is at corner.

According to sources, two most resorted book centers for purchasing models are Shiva Book Centre near Dasmesh School and Shubh Book Centre on main Ajit Road. The most popular models are on pollution, thermal pollution, volcano working, earthquake, types of accidents and a layout of Chandigarh.

Kapil from Shiva Book Centre said, “We are busy selling models these days. Students and parents are lining up for purchasing readymade models for practical. Some models are not ready with us so we make them on order.”

On being asked, whether the sale of models are right or not, a shopkeeper from Shiva Book Centre added, “The teachers themselves advice the students to buy the readymade models”.

There are around three variants to choose from, a model on a chart paper, 2D and 3D models, 2D and 3D models cost somewhere around Rs 300 or more at Shiva Book Centre, the same is sold at less price at Shubh Book Centre.

Babbi from Shubh Book Centre said, “Practicals are merely a formality. Everyone buys models from outside. No one prepares them at home. You tell me a subject and I would prepare a model for you too.” When asked that how much time would it take, he replied it depends upon the type of the model.

Kapil said that as it was Basant on Saturday, no one came to buy, “It would take a day or two. I would make the model with my friend’s help. I study in BA-II year and during this season we have our hands full with various orders from all CBSE schools of the city.”

DEO (secondary) Baljinder Singh Mann when contacted said, “Examiners should not attend to the students, who buy models for practical exams from outside. Such models should not be evaluated. Government has given guidelines that students should put in their efforts to prepare projects and models. We would issue fresh guidelines to all the schools about this.”

Apart from models, projects are also available. There were spellings mistakes as well in the readymade projects but shopkeepers said the models are selling like hot cakes.

Bathinda, February 1
The global financial slump has turned out to be a boon for small industrial units in Punjab. As the bigger units pare down production and focus on cost-cutting, orders have begun changing route for the small-scale sector in the state.

"Our business has gone up by over 60 per cent in the past three-four months. Many of our new clients are from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Our workers are working round the clock to complete orders," said Anirudh Bansal, who runs a small auto bearings manufacturing unit.

Atul Mahajan, owner of a small-scale precision engineering equipment unit in the city, has a similar story. "Earlier, we only had clients in this industrial area and did not send our products to other states. It's different now."

Today, Mahajan said, demand has shot up and sometimes, orders have had to be refused on account of the excessive workload and deadline pressure.

"This slowdown in the economy has certainly proved to be a blessing in disguise for many small-scale units operating here. Various such industries have started getting good business," said K.S. Kansal, general secretary, Bathinda Small-scale Industries Association (BSSIA).

However, it is not that everyone is happy. According to a senior BSSIA official, the bigger units in Punjab's Jalandhar and Ludhiana industrial areas are suffering as they cannot run production on a lower scale to execute small orders.

Baljeet Singh, who runs an auto parts manufacturing unit in Jalandhar, says: "Our international export business has fallen by 50 to 60 per cent and in the domestic market by over 30 per cent. Many clients are going to smaller firms to get products at lower prices.

"In 2007, we did good business, but the last six months of 2008 were very difficult for us. We cannot compete with small industries as we cannot sustain for long by cutting down production because of the big capital investments we made," he said.

R.S. Chopra, who runs a transformer manufacturing unit in Bathinda, said: "Big industries are facing a liquidity crunch. Many entrepreneurs here are planning to shift to some small-scale industry as at present it seems to be the only money-spinning and viable option."

The wire, transformer and utencil manufacturing sectors are the main industries of Bathinda with about 200 units that employ over 2,500 people.

Bathinda, February 1
Following the orders of the district court, the Kotwali police today booked the then principal and three employees of the Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering & Technology, in an eight-year-old alleged recruitment scam.

The case was related to the recruitment of nine laboratory assistants in 2000-2001. The college authorities were accused of indulging in malpractice while recruiting the staff.

Acting upon the written complaint filed by Lalit Mohan in April 2007, the then DSP (H), Gautam Singal, held an investigation and recommended that the principal in question, Narinder Singh, superintendent Gurdeep Singh, head of mechanical department H.S. Randhawa, steno Jagtar Singh and six of then recruited lab assistants be booked.

After completion of the investigation, the then SSP marked the SP (H) to discuss the case with him. At that time, it was alleged that the police was trying to snub the case.

The aggrieved candidates had then filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Now, chief judicial magistrate Barjinder Singh directed the Kotwali police to book the accused namely, the principal in question, Narinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, H.S. Randhawa and the steno. The order did not mention anything about the recruited staff. Acting upon the directions of the CJM, the Kotwali police today booked the four accused under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and sections 7, 12, 13 and 1-D of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Davinder Singh, SHO, Kotwali, said, "The accused have been booked. But the arrest would be made after further proceedings."

Ferozepur, February 1
The Badal government was trying to rake up the issue of Anandpur Sahib resolution only to reap benefit in the coming Parliamentary elections by exploiting the sentiments of the people of the state, said Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, while talking to media at the residence of Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, MLA, Guruharsahai, here today. Bhattal along with other senior Congress leaders, including Mohinder Singh Kaypee, president of the PPCC, and Lal Singh, former minister, was here to attend the bhog ceremony of Mata Sukhdial Kaur, mother of Parminder Singh Pinki, general secretary of the PPCC.

Bhattal said that she along with other Congress leaders would meet governor General S.F. Rodrigues on Monday to submit a memorandum regarding alleged biased attitude of the Badal government towards farmers of the state. She said those farmers whose land was being acquired in Lambi area were being paid an amount ranging from Rs 30 to 35 lakh per acre against their land whereas the farmers of Lehragaga and other areas were being compensated with only Rs 5 to 10 lakh per acre in lieu of their land.

Bhattal said that the UPA government would retain power in the Centre and the Congress would win all the 13 parliamentary seats in the state with thumping majority.

Former finance minister Lal Singh was equally vocal in condemning the Akali-BJP government. He said that the much hyped "Atta-Dal" scheme was nothing but farce and all the promises of making the state power surplus were also false.

Meanwhile, Kaypee said that the decision on allotment of seats would be taken soon.

He said the names shall be finalised by the committee constituted by the party high command.

Thousands of people, including Congress leaders, workers, farmers and representatives of NGOs, had assembled at the historic Gurudwara Saragarhi to attend the bhog ceremony. 

Sangat (Bathinda), Feb 1
Raninder Singh, general secretary of the PPCC and son of former CM Amarinder Singh, said, “Whenever the Badal family takes any contentious step, Badal try to divert the attention of people raising some Panthic agenda. The demand to implement Anandpur Sahib Resolution is a trick to defuse the controversy over the projection of his son as deputy chief minister.”

Raninder was here on Sunday to address a public meeting as a part of poll campaign.

Attempting to shield the UPA government, said, “Despite all efforts, Badals would always accuse the Congress for everything.”

He added, “Ignoring the analytical approach, they have been just taking it as a political issue.”

Raninder accused the SAD (B) leaders, particularly the father-son duo, Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal, for having no real agenda.

Later, while addressing a public gathering, Makhan Singh and Ajaib Singh Bhatti, MLAs, claimed Raninder Singh as the best of choice to defeat the SAD candidate for Bathinda Lok Sabha seat.

Bathinda, February 1
The Punjab Forest Department has decided to route all the diversion cases of forest land under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (FCA) through single file system reducing the time of processing of FCA proposals at Punjab Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and government level to less than 15 days compared to 75 days taken earlier.

Disclosing this here today, R.C. Nayyar, financial commissioner, forests, said number of FCA cases had increased enormously in the recent past due to various development projects in the state. Several projects have to seek prior approval of the Central government for diversion of forest land mainly for approach roads.

He said there was a huge investment involved in all these infrastructural and developmental projects and extent of forest area for diversion was rather very small in each project. Any delay in approval of these projects resulted in the escalation of project cost.

Keeping this in mind, forest department has taken a decision to adopt a single file system to curb the delay in processing of the FCA cases submitted by various user agencies to minimise the time taken to process the proposals at four levels i.e. Divisional Forest Officer, Conservator of Forests, Nodal Officer (FCA) and Government, Nayyar added.

Bathinda, February 1
In the absence of a regulatory authority for paying guest (PG) accommodations in the city, outsiders in the city living in such establishments are harassed lot. The owners run the show as per their whims and fancies more often than not thereby giving the "guests" a raw deal. The PG owners even evade income tax by collecting hefty amounts from students as rents.

The city is home to hundreds of outsiders, who come here for various reasons ranging from studies to jobs. Their major requirements include an accommodation with a homely atmosphere, where their basic needs of food and shelter are looked after besides being easy on the pocket. A decent PG accommodation can fulfill these requirements and is exactly what a majority of students and working outsiders, especially girls, want.

However, it is reported that unlike the neighbouring cities of Faridkot and Muktsar, where one can easily find a nice and up market PG accommodation with most facilities at very reasonable rents, the outsiders rarely find the same in Bathinda.

The main reasons being first, the city is quite low on the number of PG accommodations and secondly, the limited numbers of such establishments exploit the tenants due to the absence of any check on their activities.

Shweta, a girl from Sangrur, who has taken up a PG accommodation in Tagore Nagar, says, "One cannot even complain against the owners if living conditions are not up to the mark as the PGs seem to be nobody's baby. Anyway, for every one tenant there are four PGs to occupy the accommodation. Since such accommodations in the city are less, one does not have much choice but to carry on with unfriendly conditions and snooty landlords."

Confirming this, Kamal Kant, executive officer, BMC, said, "There is no regulatory body for PG accommodations in the city."

The PG accommodations, being run from residential areas, have all freedom in the world when it comes to rules and regulations. The owners have their own norms, caring two hoots about the fact whether the same are of any good to the tenants, who pay huge sums for home-like facilities.

The owners serve sub-standard meals, fail in providing the PGs with facilities promised at the time of renting out the rooms and do not shy away from harassing them.

Stingy rooms with two to eight persons huddled inside, unhygienic cooking area, high rents, unwholesome and many times stale food are just some of the problems being faced by the paying guests.

Puja, who hails from Abohar and had come to the city for pursuing her medical studies, said, "I took up a PG accommodation in Namdev Nagar when I first came to the city. The food was so bad that it could make anyone fall sick. I could not continue living in such conditions, so I moved out."

Fazilka, February 1
Hundreds of visitors from far of areas throng the Joint Check Post Sadiqi in Fazilka Sector to witness the Retreat ceremony daily. The Retreat is considered a very important event by the visitors. The government had about one-and-a-half year back decided to construct a stadium and welcome gate for the visitors to enable them to see the Retreat ceremony.

The construction was started under Border Area Development Project. An amount of Rs 26 lakh was released for this purpose.

It had also been decided to complete the construction within six months. However, after the completion of the construction of the stadium the structure of the welcome gate was also raised. The final finishing work of the gate is yet to be completed even after a lapse of about one year.

The reason cited for this is that scarcity of funds. It is estimated that about Rs two lakh are required for completion of the finishing to give it an attractive look.

According to sources the BSF personnel feel embarrassed due to incomplete welcome gate. It does not give good impression to the large number of visitors of India and Pakistan as well. The location of the welcome gate is such that it is conspicuously visible from both sides — India and Pakistan.

The Deputy Commissioner Ferozepur Megh Raj when contacted said that the welcome gate would be completed on priority basis upon availability of the funds. 

Abohar, February 1
The Punjab state was for the first time represented by the Bhangra team of the DAV College at the eight-day Dantan Gramin Mela organised by the Dantan Sports and Cultural Association in Paschim Medinipur district of the West Bengal.

Principal Dr B.B. Sharma and the teaching staff felicitated the team on its return in the campus here recently.

The Association headed by the West Bengal ministers Khiti Goswami and Dr Mortaja Hossain has been organising the fair for last 20 years but the entry of a team from Punjabi was made possible for the first time on the recommendation of the South Asia Fraternity (SAF) a globally known organisation. The selection was made keeping in view the laurels brought by the college team during the university and inter-university festivals.

Interestingly, Ashish Sahoo joint secretary of the organising committee in a letter scripted in the national language has thanked the college-principal for sending the team and put on record that over one lakh viewers were enthralled by its superb performance. "The team has brought the culture of Punjab and the West Bengal closer by performing from January 22 to 25. We extend advance invitation to the team for next year also, Sahoo said.

The team led by noted bhangra star Jujhar Singh comprised of Ajaypal Singh, Simranjit Singh, Sukhman Singh, Harman Singh, Baljit Singh, Antarpreet Singh, Lovreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh. Gurtej Singh and Veerpal Singh accompanied the team as singer and drummer.

While sharing his experiences with this correspondent in the presence of Extra Mural Activities department Dean B.S. Bhullar and Dr Iqbal Singh Godara head of the Punjabi department during a reception in the college on Friday Gurtej Singh said he was prompted by good response from the huge gathering to present four folk songs but "chhalla" emerged as super hit. Even when the viewers could understand Hindi language only their love and respect for Punjabi folk was exceptional. "We were amazed to find that even 8 years old girl children from the tribe belt performed 15 minutes' classical dance besides traditional dances", he said.

Team in charge Jujhar Singh wondered even to control a lakh people not even a single policeman was deployed. The volunteers managed the whole fair and there was no untoward incident. None dared to tease or humiliate any of the performers who had turned up from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa and Rajasthan besides West Bengal. Ajaypal Singh said their hospitality and reverence for art was par excellence. There was much to learn for us also.

Bathinda, February 1
More than one lakh children below the age of 5 years were administered polio drops in the first phase of the campaign here today. The response this time was more enthusiastic today in comparison with the previous campaigns, informed health officials.

According to the officials, the city was divided into three zones and 742 stationary booths were set up. In all 40 mobile vans were used to cover the migratory population. In addition to 32 transit booths, 20 posts were also set up near bus stand and railway station.

All those children who are not covered today will be given polio drops on February 2 and February 3. More than 3,000 health workers from all government hospitals were engaged in the campaign, informed Dr Ajit Pal Singh, district immunisation officer.

"While the polio drops have been administered in the camps today, on Monday and Tuesday the health workers will go to houses in the door-to-door campaign so that maximum numbers of children are given the drops," said the district immunisation officer.

Fazilka, February 1
As many as 7512 children up to the age of 5 years were administered polio vaccine at different booth.

Dr Hans Raj Malethia, nodal officer of Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme of local Civil Hospital said that 31 booth have been set up in different localities of the town to administer polio vaccine. Two transit teams and one mobile team have also been pressed into service.

School students are also assisting the officials of Health Department. The teams would administer polio vaccine drops from door to door on Monday and Tuesday. An estimated 12000 children are to be immunised.

Bathinda, February 1
High school students, who glue to TV sets most of the time, are likely to develop bad eating habits five years later, according to a study conducted on the viewing patterns of 2,000 high and middle school students in various districts of Punjab.

Dr D.B. Herr and Dr Jessica Soni from Haverford College and Hospital, Germany, and the researchers of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, jointly investigated the link between TV and diet.

"This is the first study to examine the association between television viewing and diet over the transition from adolescence into adulthood. The study found that TV viewing during adolescence predicts poor dietary intake patterns five years later," Soni said.

The researchers found that those high school students, who watched TV for over five hours a day, had a lower intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods. They gorged on snacks, fried foods, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans-fats five years later, said Soni.

"These less-than-healthy foodstuffs are commonly advertised on television while healthy foods rarely receive same quantum of publicity. Although young people may be aware that many foods advertised on television are not healthy, they do not fully realise the consequences," she said.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, February 1
The Rajputana Rifles' Camel Safari today moved from Kaluwas for Kapurisar. On the way, the safari was warmly received exactly in Rajasthani style, even on reaching a sleepy small village Nathuhina besides Gopilyan. Hundreds of residents from the adjoining villages also thronged Kapurisar to greet the team.

Captain Pradeep Sheokand and other members of the team told this correspondent that they were surprised to find that even female students of the government schools in Jamsar, Khari, Malasar, Hansera, Mulania, Karnisar villages etc not only gave rapt attention to the lecture delivered by Captain Sheokand, attired in Rajasthani costume, but also insisted on having detailed discussions with him after the meeting was over about avenues of the employment in the Army.

Principal Om Parkash Goyatan of the Government Senior Secondary School in Loonkaransar and NCC Captain R.R. Guria from Kaluwas specially contacted the team on its way to request for addressing the students, numbering more than 1000 in their respective schools and to guide them for appearing in the NDA exam slated late this month. Not only the educationists but elders of the villages also said they had seen Camel safari after a long time. The venture would surely motivate the youths and inculcate in them love for the nation which is need of the hour, they observed.

The team interacted with the locals and made them aware about recruitment policies and ECHS facilities being provided by the government. They were informed about the recruitment policies and procedure to enroll as commissioned officers in the Indian Army.

Interactive session also emphasised on social issues like dowry, drug abuse, AIDS and women empowerment locals participated wholeheartedly in the interactive session. Camel safari was successful in highlighting the social issues. As the medical assistant accompanying the team distributed medicines.